The
Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible

A
Biblical Examination of The Renovare Spiritual Formation Study
Bible by Berean
Call

A
Richard Foster Bible called the Renovare Study Bible, has
been released by Harper SF in 2005. The Renovare "Bible"
focuses on Richard Foster's six disciplines (from his book Streams of Living Waters),
one of which is the contemplative practice. Thomas Kelly is
quoted in that book as saying:

"Deep
within us all [all human beings] there is an amazing inner sanctuary
of the soul, a holy place, a Divine Center"

Walter
Brueggemann endorses back cover of Alan Jones interspiritual
book, Reimagining Christianity, in which Jones says the
doctrine of the Cross is a vile doctrine. (Please note that
emerging church leader, Brian McLaren, also endorses Jones'
book.)

An
Analysis

Richard
Foster's 2005 Renovare Spiritual Formation Study Bible (RSFSB) is
published by Harper San Francisco (a Rupert Murdoch company),
and based on Amazon book ratings for popularity, this one is
popular.

On the publisher's website, a list of those who endorse the
book include Brennan Manning, Tony Campolo, Dan Kimball and
Max Lucado (all promote contemplative spirituality).

But
these aren't the things we must look at to properly review this
"Bible." Rather, an examination of some of those who wrote the
book as well as a look at the work itself will give the most
accurate analysis.

The
RSFSB focuses on Richard Foster's six disciplines (from his
book Streams of Living Waters), one of which is the contemplative
practice. Thomas Kelly is quoted in that book as saying:

"Deep
within us all [all human beings] there is an amazing inner sanctuary
of the soul, a holy place, a Divine Center."

Kelly
is also quoted in the RSFSB as is trappist monk Thomas Merton,
who said he wanted to be the best Buddhist he could be and that
he was impregnated with Sufism.

The
RSFSB is filled throughout with quotes by and references to
many of the Christian
mystics in history.: Theresa of Avila, Brother Lawrence,
Hildegard of Bingen, Julian of Norwich and so on.

The
RSFSB uses the New Revised Standard Version, which is published
by a division of the National Council of Churches (an ecumenical,
inter-faith organization). (Thomas Nelson also publishes the
NRSV.)The
NRSV uses "gender-neutral language," and is approved by the
Episcopal Church and the Catholic Church. Eugene Peterson (The
Message) is the New Testament editor for the RSFSB. (See
our research
on Eugene Peterson and The Message.)

"With
the facet of interpretation, Brueggemann argues that the Bible
requires and insists upon "human interpretation that is inescapably
subjective, necessarily provisional, and as [we] are living witnesses,
inevitably disputatious." Beyond the baseline of main claims
or affirmations of Apostolic faith, we must attach only "tentative
authority” to interpretations on almost all questions."more...

"Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name [Jesus Christ]
under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." Acts 4: 12